The Toronto International Film Festival — Canada’s largest — has already come to a close, having run from Sept. 5 to 15.
But even with the stars having gone home — and other well-known fests like Fantasia, imagineNATIVE and Atlantic International Film Festival nearly a year away — the festival season is still far from over.
For those who couldn’t make the time or the trek to Toronto’s fest, CBC has compiled a list of upcoming festivals across the country.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Sept. 11-22
The Mike Gilber and josh O’Connor written Bonus Track is set to screen at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival. (Vancouver Queer Film Festival)
While the 36th annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival has already started, there is still time to check some films on offer — even if you’re outside of Vancouver itself. Featuring 97 titles — including eight world premieres — VQFF offers streaming options throughout B.C. for certain productions.
And while most of its buzzy titles — like Cannes and Berlinale award winner Young Hearts — have already screened, others, like the Josh O’Connor-penned Bonus Track, are still to come.
Calgary International Film Festival
Sept. 19-29
Jeremy Strong, left, and Sebastian Stan appear in a promotional image from The Apprentice. The Canadian co-production follows the early years of former-U.S. President Donald Trump. (Scythia Films)
As the biggest film festival in Alberta and one of the most respected in Canada, the Calgary International Film Festival marked its opening this week. Along with its opening night film The Thicket — which was set to include an appearance by star Peter Dinklage before he pulled out due to scheduling conflicts — the festival is set to close with Lucky Star.
Both films were shot in Calgary and — outside the festival’s buzzy international titles like The Apprentice, Anora and Flow — are part of a slate intended to highlight Canadian talent.
The Mosquers Film Festival
Sept. 21-22
Farah Nabulsi’s The Teacher is set to screen at Edmonton’s Mosquers Muslim Film Fest (TIFF)
As the world’s largest Muslim film and arts festival, the MFF begins its 16th annual showing in Edmonton this weekend. Though shorter than others, the festival offers a short-film competition screened to the public, star-spotting opportunities of local talent from Little Mosque on the Prairie creator Zarqa Nawaz to Transplant star Hamza Haq, as well as a screening of Farah Nabulsi’s The Teacher. The Oscar-nominated director of that film will also be in attendance for a Q&A.
Ottawa International Animation Festival
Sept. 25-29
Flow, the animated film that saw its North American premiere at TIFF, will screen at the Ottawa International Animated Film Festival. (TIFF)
One of the world’s most prestigious animation-based film festivals — as well as North America’s oldest and largest of its kind — OIAF has a significantly different list of films on offer from the other entries.
Along with early Oscar contender Flow, notable entries from Memoir of a Snail, to Boys Go to Jupiter, Olivia & the Clouds and Journey of Shadows will run in the features competition.
Montreal International Black Film Festival
Sept. 25-29
A breakout film at Cannes Film Festival, The Village Next to Paradise will be the closing title at the Montreal International Black Film Festival. (TIFF)
Outside of the films set to screen, the 20th edition of the Montreal International Black Film Festival has some star power to announce. Spike Lee is set to make an appearance on the festival’s opening night, speaking at a conference to mark the 35th anniversary of his film Do the Right Thing.
The majority of the festival’s films, including the closing title The Village Next to Paradise, will be available both in person and to online audiences across Canada.
Vancouver International Film Festival
Sept. 26-Oct. 6
This image released by Neon shows Mikey Madison in a scene from Anora. (Neon/The Associated Press)
One of Canada’s most prestigious festivals, the Vancouver International Film Festival boasts a lineup very close to the one that preceded it at TIFF.
The festival smash hit Anora, Ralph Fiennes-led drama Conclave and France’s pick for best international feature at the Oscars Emilia Perez will make an appearance at the festival starting Sept. 26.
Festival du Nouveau Cinéma
Oct. 9-20
Demi Moore, left, and Margaret Qualley star in The Substance. The film will screen at the Windsor International Film Festival. (TIFF)
One of Canada’s oldest film festivals, the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal will launch its 53rd edition on Oct. 9.
After opening with Universal Language and screening many of the well-known international titles already mentioned, the festival will show a number of local productions — including Marie-Hélène Viens and Philippe Lupien’s You Are Not Alone and Meryam Joobeur’s Who Do I Belong To.
Forest City Film Festival
Oct. 19-27
Gail Maurice in Aberdeen, a Winnipeg-shot movie that screened at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. (Submitted by Toronto International Film Festival)
London, Ont.’s Forest City Film Festival will feature local premieres focused on southwestern Ontario and Indigenous cinema.
Following its TIFF world premiere, Gail Maurice-led Aberdeen will screen at FCFF. It’s about an Indigenous woman fighting to keep her grandchildren from the foster care system. Also on offer is Curl Power, the touching documentary about both a British Columbia youth curling team and the pressures of growing up. London-born actor Victor Garber will be in attendance to accept the festival’s inaugural lifetime achievement award, as well as give a Q&A following the screening of three of his past films.
Windsor International Film Festival
Oct. 24-Nov. 3
A scene from Matthew Rankin’s 2024 film Universal Language, featuring Pirouz Nemati, right. (Metafilms)
Celebrating its 20th iteration, the Windsor International Film Festival is set to screen over 180 films for its 11-day run this winter. Along mainstream films already getting attention — like Conclave and The Substance — WIFF organizers say they plan to air Russians at War.
That controversial documentary by filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova follows a group of Russian soldiers during the war in Ukraine. TIFF opted to pause, then eventually resume, its screenings of the film after protests and organizer-reported threats, amid allegations that it was Russian propaganda.
Future festivals
The Available Light Film Festival in Whitehorse is among upcoming film festivals in Canada. (Paul Tukker/CBC)
Further down the line, the rest of the year has more festivals in store — though many haven’t yet released their film lineup. St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival will take place from Oct. 22 to 26, Reel Asian Film Festival will debut films in Toronto from Nov. 13 to 24, Thunder Bay, Ont.’s Vox Popular Media Arts Festival will run Nov. 14 to 16 and the Whistler Film Festival will run from Dec. 4 to 8.
According to Deadline, Montreal Critic’s Week is set launch its inaugural festival showcase in January 2025, while the Available Light Film Festival — the largest film festival in Canada’s territories — will go from Feb. 8 to 18.
